Kia EV6 GT tops German EV comparison test, beating Tesla Model Y

Kia's high-performance electric vehicle, the EV6 GT, has taken first place in a comparison test by a German automotive magazine, outscoring the Tesla Model Y Performance and Chinese electric vehicle brands Zeekr and BYD. The EV6 GT drew particularly strong marks for braking performance, driving stability and steering response.

German automotive magazine Auto Motor und Sport conducted a comparison test of five high-powered electric vehicles on Oct. 8, with the Kia EV6 GT claiming the top spot with a total score of 585 points.

The evaluation covered five electric vehicles: the Kia EV6 GT, Tesla Model Y Performance, Zeekr 7GT Privilege AWD, Polestar 4 Coupe Dual Motor and BYD Sea Lion 7 AWD Excellence.

The EV6 GT led the field with 585 points, followed by the Tesla Model Y Performance at 576 points. The Zeekr 7GT Privilege AWD came third with 569 points, ahead of the Polestar 4 Coupe Dual Motor at 531 points and the BYD Sea Lion 7 AWD Excellence at 508 points.

Auto Motor und Sport is considered one of Germany's three major automotive publications. The comparison assessed vehicles across seven categories: body and safety, convenience, powertrain, driving performance, environmental friendliness, economy and one additional category.

The EV6 GT earned the highest score among the five vehicles in three of those categories — safety (89 points), powertrain (105 points) and driving performance (96 points).

Its braking performance stood out most. In a test measuring stopping distance from 100 km/h, the EV6 GT recorded 34.5 meters with cold brakes and 33.5 meters with brakes warmed from repeated use — the shortest stopping distance in both conditions among all five vehicles tested.

The EV6 GT also performed well in tests requiring sudden directional changes. It cleared an 18-meter slalom course — weaving through evenly spaced obstacles — at 67.6 km/h, and completed a double lane-change test simulating an emergency maneuver at 132.9 km/h. Both figures were the highest among the vehicles tested.

The gap between the EV6 GT and its rivals was especially wide in the driving performance category. The Kia scored 96 points, beating the second-place Tesla Model Y Performance by 20 points. It also received high marks for steering response, the variety of driving modes and overall driving enjoyment.

The EV6 GT also led the powertrain category with 105 points. Powered by a 478-kilowatt (650-horsepower) motor, it scored highly for power delivery, shift simulation and its regenerative braking system. Evaluators also credited the car's multiple regenerative braking settings — which allow drivers to adjust deceleration intensity — and its one-pedal driving function, which enables acceleration and deceleration through the accelerator pedal alone.

However, the EV6 GT did not lead in every category. In environmental friendliness, it scored 89 points, trailing the Tesla Model Y Performance's 112 points, and in economy it scored 59 points against Tesla's 69. Still, its strong showing in safety and driving performance was enough to secure the overall top position.

Auto Motor und Sport summarized that the EV6 GT "won this comparison on the strength of its outstanding driving performance." The magazine singled out its virtual gear-shift function — which simulates the sensation of an actual gear change — and its drift mode as differentiating features, noting that the EV6 GT had the most pronounced sporting character of any vehicle in the test.

"It is meaningful that the EV6 GT has had its competitiveness recognized in key areas — safety, powertrain and driving performance — in a comparison against global electric vehicles," a Kia official said. "We will continue to do our best to provide customers with a differentiated electrification driving experience and reliable product quality."